


Shield

by orphan_account



Category: Red Garden
Genre: Angst, F/F, Longing, Old work, One-sided longing, Protectiveness, repost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 17:19:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1175752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At least from within these walls, she could protect Kate. Repost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shield

She heard the way the other members of Grace talked about Kate. Their complaints piled up every day. No doubt Kate was hearing double what made it to her ears. If the headmaster wasn't connected to her, some of the decisions she made would have not gone over as favorably. Of course, if she wasn't so connected to all of this, her thoughts on Kate's recent behavior would likely be very different to begin with.

In that respect, she was fortunate. At least from within these walls, she could protect Kate. 

Paula had always been fond of Kate. Her romantic feelings for Kate had begun to bud only just before she heard the news about Lise and everything else that had transpired that night. There hadn't been time to sort out how deep her affections were, or whether her fondness had always been a slowly developing love, or how much she longed to reach out to Kate without the name of Grace confining her appearance. Understanding was a time-consuming process she didn't have the luxury of. Amidst the storm of confusion and passion locked inside her, her heart had sent her one clear message.

Protect Kate at all costs.

Such a task was impossible. She could only be Kate's shield within these walls. Whenever Kate would receive the call, she'd go out there in the night and fight those monsters with the others. Every night was a restless one. Lula was on her speed-dial. She couldn't sleep until she got a status update on how the girls had done that night. Paula was certain Lula had caught on to her reasons early on, but Lula had never confronted her about it. All she gave was information, nothing more.

Those calls didn't make the nightmares go away. Nor the dread she felt waiting for Kate to arrive on campus, afraid something may have happened in between her call to Lula. The pain piercing deep in her chest never lifted.

Today, Kate had arrived late again. The tired look in Kate's eyes was something Paula could never get used to. The two of them would be hearing from the other members about this later. Paula comforted Kate with a fraction of the words her heart wanted to let out. 

As she lingered in the hall watching Kate meet up with the other girls before class, the two truths imprisoned inside her attacked her mind with guilt. If one were freed, she knew she would not be able to contain the other. They screamed past her, only wanted to reach the person directly out of her reach.

_I know what you're going through._

_I love you._

For now, at least, she could not let either leave her. As meager of a protection it was, she would be her shield within these walls for as long as she could. There would come a day, she knew, where there would be nothing left for her to offer. Whether Kate was taken from her by those monsters, or the final battle was at hand--that day would come. She only hoped that she'd find the strength before then to speak the words that she carried with her everyday in silence.


End file.
